 tired of the everyday routine ever dream of a life of romantic adventure want to get away from it all we offer you escape escape designed to free you from the four walls of today for a half hour of high adventure escape brought to you by your richfield gasoline dealer and the richfield oil corporation of New York marketers of richfield gasoline's with xylene rich Lou all weather motor oil and other famous petroleum products look for the richfield eagle on the cream and blue pumps tonight we escape to India and the story of a man trapped in his bed by a crate the most deadly poisonous snake in the world as Raul Dahl tells it in his terrifying story poison listen it's an awful good story but to get the point you got to understand about two things what kind of a guy Harry Pope was and what kind of a snake a crate is first the crate you spell it k-r-a-i-t they're in India the crates are little snakes sometimes not more than three or four inches long you have to look real careful if you're gonna see one at all really almost like a worm except that it's the most poisonous snake in the world it can bite faster than a bumblebee and when it does you go off like a firecracker swell up like a hot water bottle and in fly the angels crate tiny little snake now about Harry Harry Pope funny guy he had it in for anybody who wasn't American who didn't speak his language he called him foreigners and he called him that army word gook didn't matter if they were French Italian or Japanese gook foreigner he'd say it's kind of buggy on the subject funny guy well Harry and me we got sent out to Bombay in this construction job and that's where the trouble started you see except for the two of us the crew was made up of local boys Hindus and Muslims for him Harry was like a cat in a room full of dogs had his back up every minute after a month or so it began to wear him out that's so his appetite wasn't right it was smoking three and four packs a day and he wasn't getting his sleep I used to try to straighten them out used to tell him he was wrong no Woody there's no use talking listen to Harry they're all good boys why don't you take it easy Woody you and I are good friends but a lot of things you just don't understand you ought to take it easy Harry they're all human beings just like you and me they're gooks Woody foreigners look it think about it this way how'd you like your sister to marry one I haven't got a sister in any way you've asked me that before yeah you see you want to make the effort to understand now that's how it was with Harry and you know about the crate now about what happened was June the last year was hot and sticky even though the sun was down I was putting on a clean shirt to go out oh man I'm really beat tonight what's with you Woody what's the clean shirt for going out what he got a date no I thought I'd stop off at Dr. Gander by as he promised he'd show me the photos he made down in the leper column Gander by yeah these photos are supposed to be pretty interesting stuff how about it Harry would you like to come along Gander by he's a Hindu a gook foreigner I don't want to spend no evening with a gook shoot not old Harry so I went off to the doctors and Harry went to bed with a detective story I had a very interesting evening later old Harry was plenty sorry that he stayed home I didn't leave the doctors until around midnight and when I drove back through the sleeping city it was very quiet and dark I thought about the pictures of the lepers I'd seen I remember thinking I hope Harry's awake because I'd like to tell him about those pictures and when I got home I was glad to see the light in his room was still burning Harry you up I didn't get an answer probably fell asleep reading Harry you awake Harry what Harry boy what's the matter kid stop what take off your shoes I couldn't tell what was the matter but I knew he was serious whatever it was about so I did what he wanted he was in bed under his netting with a reading light on his book on the floor he lay quite still and the sheet came halfway up his chest he was wearing those corny pajamas of his with the big checks all over them and the pajamas were soaked in the sweat that was rolling off his face he lay like a corpse flat on his back with his hands lying dead on the bed his hands even the backs of them were sweating his eyes looked like he was watching somebody saw his leg off would he what's the matter boy great where where's the great under the netting no under the sheet where did bite you it hasn't yet where under the sheet I don't my belly holy suck you can wake it up if you don't cut out that yellow how to get in there I don't know came up under the net I guess it's been in a bed all day is it a big one no great don't have to be big looked about three or four inches come along my side I didn't move went under the sheet one of them folds one of them wrinkles there over my belly how long ago did it come ours ours and ours and days and weeks would I've been waiting a year for you to get home it must be sleeping in there huh yeah I think it is I now listen Harry maybe it'll wake up and go away go home or something I can't wait would I've been lying here scared I'd move something to wake it up yeah you're scared little bite I've been lying here scared to death I cough right don't you worry about a thing Harry I know just what to do what you're going with it don't leave me the thing was to be ready to cauterize the bite right away I'd heard about one method I went out to the kitchen I got a whole fistful of those big kitchen matches and I took them back to the bedroom arranged them all with the heads together held them like you'd hold a torch what do you couldn't do with the matches for now listen Harry here's how it goes these will cauterize see so we count three flip back the sheet and you jump out of bed now you follow me you're not no no listen Harry if the crate bites you I strike the bundle and press it against the spot and it burns out the poison see well I'm at a weight away from me your bubble head of many Harry I'm only trying to listen would he take your matches and bright ideas and get the heck out of here call the doctor the doctor I never thought of that I get to okay Harry who do you want gander by our foresight foresight things are bad enough without you got to bring that gook in here I don't see the telephone book and I found Dr. Mattson before size number and I dialed it yeah let me speak to the doctor it's very urgent who is calling please Arthur Woods woods Arthur Woods Spell Woods W W oh oh oh the kindness to give me the next letter please oh it's oh after all please look my name is woods Spell W O O D D S Woods that's right that's just right now let me speak to the doctor please sorry dr. no team call tomorrow across the room Harry lay very still sweating trying to keep every muscle relaxed his face was beginning to twitch a little I was scared if that twitch should spread I call the doctor's house again understand look I said if you don't tell me where the doctor is I'm gonna come over there and pull your arms off and then I'm gonna take you by the neck of doctor at the club please what club Harry lay very still fighting the twitches trying to keep from jumping out of his skin while I waited for the bartender at the club to locate dr. force I after about five minutes and nothing I got this listen doctor you got to get over here right away this is Arthur Woods and my partner he's got a snake in the bed with him doctor I said snake he's got a snake in the bed with him please doctor you got to get over here right away it's urgent listen is this dr. force I speaking well let me speak to the doctor please why not you gotta forget all this prejudice stuff gander buys your only chance no no he's a good he went to Oxford Harry he's a good it's him or the undertaker he's a cook I'm gonna call him Harry all right go ahead call it but he's a gook I called him when I mentioned crate he was quiet for a good 10 seconds and then he said he'd be right over and he was within five minutes he was wearing felt slippers and he moved silently into the bedroom he was carrying his black satchel and when I saw the lamp light glinting softly in his steel rims spectacles saw his wise gentle eyes his bald brown head I thought to myself why he looks just like Mahatma Gandhi he looked silently at Harry and smiled encouragingly Harry looked at him looked at me and looked away now first we must very carefully remove the netting from about the bed mr. Pope I want you to pay no attention to us you want to concentrate on being very quiet on letting the little snake sleep it is a very little snake and it is very tired you must tell yourself this and you must believe it is necessary for it to sleep yeah yeah mr. Wood help me lift the netting very slowly good what are you gonna do for me think about the little snake what do you think I'm thinking about what are you gonna do for me the snake it is here it's in one of those falls over is a abdomen doctor now we all know where it is pretend you are the mother of the little snake you are keeping it warm it is sleeping that is good just so as it don't wake up and want breakfast you joke that is good I wish I was back home on a good old USA what are you gonna do that I have a serum here we will inject it into the blood of mr. Pope then as he puts it the little snake may breakfast to his heart's content without harm to without harm to mama his hands were brown and slender and astonishingly deft he poked the hypodermic into a capsule of thick yellowish stuff the serum and then with infinite care he drew the plunger slowly and steadily upward the glistening chamber filled he withdrew the needle laid the hypodermic down and then with all the gentleness in the world it began to fold back Harry's sleeve was as though he were folding rare old lace he inched the sleeve carefully under and up Harry's arm until the vein came into view I'm going to fasten the tour the kid on your arm now it will be just above the elbow do not move your arm do not twitch your muscle gently gently he tightened the rubber tour the kitten Harry's arm began to flush dark the vein began to swell blue and tight Harry kept his eyes on the seal now I'm going to insert the needle in the vein you must not react by that I mean you must not tend your abdominal muscles believe me mr. Pope this will not hurt very carefully place the syringe almost flat against the arm slid the needle in sideways through the skin and into the blue vein slid it slowly but so firmly that it went in smooth smooth as a knife going into a cheese duck you're good at your duck you must believe that you're gonna let me die a doc I'm your friend you must believe that are you doc you won't let me die no no I will not let you die now be still and think about that all the care in the world as he had pushed the needle into the vein now he pressed the plunger down pressed the serum through the needle and into Harry Pope's body I watched Harry his eyes were on the wise gentle face of dr. Gander by his eyes wanted desperately to believe what Gander by had told him now the hypodermic was empty and slowly it was withdrawn and then slowly the death graceful little hands loosened the rubber tourniquet and then Gander by looked up met Harry's eyes and smiled Harry tried to smile back but the smile jumped and twitched and died he had taken care of me on duck yes my son now you must be still while the serum is pumped through your body be very still and be very assured I'm your friend the serum will save you you will escape harm he beckoned to me and I followed him out of the room and out onto the dark ports the air was heavy and hot Gander by stared out at the blackness drummed his fingers softly on the railing your your friend is in grave danger yeah but the serum you gave him the serum I gave him the serum it isn't any good it is the finest known to medical science and it is worthless to most of us science is something strange and mysterious we think of magic medicines in supersonic planes but here's a scientific achievement that's as real as your car and as near as your richfield dealer it's xylene one of the highest anonok gasoline components ever discovered by scientific research and xylene can benefit you today because every gallon of richfield gasoline now contains xylene xylene to give your car that smooth noxious power that eats up the miles xylene for that swift eager response you need in traffic furthermore there's a richfield gasoline to fit your motor your richfield dealer offers to great richfield gasoline's both with xylene get richfield high octane at regular price for the average motor or richfield ethyl ethyl at its best for top results in highest compression motors get richfield gasoline tomorrow stop where you see the richfield eagle on the cream and blue pumps and now we return you to escape so there it was harry pope the man who had been an enemy of anyone and everyone who didn't come from his country or speak his language was now halfway through death's door and his only hope laying a doctor gander by of another race another creed another country in another color now for the first time in his life harry had made a gesture of friendship toward a person of another race first time and it seemed to me the last no my friend the serum is worthless what can we do then the snake is bound to wake sooner or later harry will move he won't be able to help himself in the snaggle strike we must think look I'll shoot it I can hold the gun low and flat so that even if I hit harry it won't be a penetrating wound now blow the snake sheet and all clear the bed huh but you don't even know which of the many folds increases in their cheats is the harbor of the snake you might shoot the air yeah you would most certainly wake the snake no we can't do that I I think I think I have a solution mr. woods yeah we will we will anesthetize the snake yes we will use nitrous oxide or either or chloroform I think the last chloroform yes we put the snake out right while he's lying on harry is that the idea that is it mr. woods now if you will please drive quickly down to my house my boy will show you where I keep my supplies the chloroform is in a bottle with an orange label orange label yes bring it back as quickly as you can I will save with mr. Pope and try to keep him assured he seems to like you we all like the doctor when we are sick I drove it as fast as I could the house boy at the doctors thought I was a madman at first but then he decided in my favor showed me what the stuff was I found a bottle with the orange label smelled it to make sure and then took off back to the house I eased the car up the driveway and tiptoed into the bedroom you know my friend doctor my pal yes I'm your friend and I am not going to let any harm come to you oh it's woody he's my friend too doctor here's the stuff doctor him woody I've been an awful dope on my life you know that woody it's okay Harry you're gonna be okay from now on the doc here my friend here I didn't like him when he first come into the room why because he wasn't an American or even an Englishman what do you know about that huh he's my friend that's okay Harry you're gonna be okay now boy I've been surprised dope mr. Wood would have to help me right he pulled a prescription pad out of his case tore the cardboard backing off and twisted it into a neat little funnel he laid this on the edge of the bed and then he took the piece of hollow rubber tubing which had been used as a tourniquet and he began to slide it under the sheet it went in where the sheet ended across Harry's chest and he slid it down he slid it slowly so slowly that although I was watching it I didn't see it move ours seemed to crawl by the tube inched invisibly on and down down and down past the unseen buttons of his jacket past the unseen cord to his trousers and then it stopped candor by had sent it by a root which did not cross any of the creases in the sheet it was being very careful not to prod the snake with it he was sweating too now sweating and biting his lip with his teeth funny I remember now one was gold I remember staring at it while he inched that tube now the funnel I fit it into the end of the tube and we are ready mr. Pope this is going to be very cold the evaporation of the chloroform will cause a sharp lowering of the temperature you must be prepared for this it will take rather a long time another factor for which you must prepare yourself the snake is a reptile and reptiles do not react quickly to the anesthetics which are intended for the use of warm blooded bear these things in mind are you ready sure friend he opened the bottle and began to drip the stuff into the funnel slowly very slowly drop by drop the clear liquid entered the tube and traveled a long dark route to Harry Pope's stomach where the crate lay sleeping drop by drop pale swirling vapor hung over the funnel down there on the sheet where the tube ended a wet gray patch began to spread the chloroform spreading and evaporating spreading and evaporating the room began to wreak of it and I remembered other places and other times hospitals operations the death of loved ones smell of chloroform Harry began to twitch now his nose he seemed to be in agony what he Harry what is it I think I'm gonna sneeze don't do it boy hang on Harry you can hang on don't gander by looked at Harry's face he reached up pressed his knuckle against some nerve on Harry's upper lip in the agonized look vanished the relentless dripping of the chloroform continued Harry was getting cold I could see goose flesh along his arms across the top of his chest with a jacket was open gander by looked at this and stop pouring that is enough I think our little friend you should be thoroughly unconscious now mr. Pope you must remain very still we are going to remove the sheet now anything you say doctor mr. Woods you take the other side we will have to do this ever so carefully we each took a side of the him I watched gander bind did everything that he did Harry's arms were still flat on the bed pointing toward his feet we inched the sheet under and free of these it was rough because we had to do it without disturbing the main area of the sheet when it was free of his arms we began to raise it slowly gathering the material in our hands as we progressed ever so slowly down Harry's chest we reached the end of his jacket no sign of the snake my hands were beginning to shake gander by paused while I turned my head away for air the order of chloroform was stifled and then we went on slowly thread by thread raising the sheet and easing it away down past the court of his pajamas down and down and still no sign of the snake I'd stopped looking for it by now I was concentrating on keeping my arms from shaking and then quite suddenly we were done gander by dropped the sheet on the floor Harry lay on his back not moving but watching us with wide terrorized eyes gander by squinted at both sides of Harry at his legs what is it it is not as you suppose on the outside of your pajama pens it must be up one of the legs I don't see it kick those tassels of cloth the remains of his pants no nothing the bed under the bed yeah nothing Harry Harry move your feet no there's nothing mr. Pope are you are you quite certain you saw a snake sometimes when we are very tired we find our auto-suggestive faculties run a bit out of hair are you calling me a liar wait no no I merely say that the auto-suggestive are you are you telling me I'm a liar Harry why you lousy little quack call me a liar you stink a little hendo witch doctor with your fancy pants Harry come in here sticking me for you cheap no good man don't bother freezing cold easy Harry's your friend my friend that little hunk of foreign trash my friend where I come from where you guys live can't he like him for bus boys you make a mistake you are wrong bus boys for waiters for nothing you're a foreigner you're a gook you're a nothing oh I'll beat you to a bloody pop you and your chloroform yeah you and your stuff about friendship and mama snake and I must make out like I like you how to split your head wide open yeah go yeah go can go can go please doctor forgive him he's been under a great strain he doesn't mean it a great strain yes he needs a good holiday good night mr. woods that's all I couldn't tell us if old Harry was still alive poor old Harry he didn't die in India he died in Chicago in the loop got run over by a taxi cab the driver was third-generation Irish a real hundred percent white American maybe that means something I don't know poor old Harry believe it or not but the very life of your car depends on oil without oil your motor would grind itself to pieces in a matter of minutes that's why you need an oil that stands up under every driving condition that's why you need rich lube all-weather motor oil rich lube is refined 100% from the finest Pennsylvania crude oil ever discovered that's your guarantee that rich lube won't burn up even under the terrific heat of hard summer driving it's tough long-lasting oil film is your faithful watchdog it protects your motor every mile you drive you can depend on it moreover rich lube motor oil combat carbon and other harmful deposits by its special cleansing action it cleans as it lubricates your motor keep your motor young keep your motor clean see your rich feel gasoline dealer tomorrow ask him to change your oil to rich lube all-weather motor oil escape is produced and directed by William and Robeson and tonight is presented poisoned by roll doll and adapted for radio by James Poe featured in tonight's cast where Jack Webber's Woody Bill Conrad is Harry Jane Ovello is Gander by and Charlie Long as the houseboy special music arranged and played by Ivan at Myers next week you are lost in the headhunter territory of New Guinea fighting your way through the swamps in search of gold with you is a giant brute of a man and his beautiful wife who doesn't care which of you is killed or who kills him and from whose evil treachery there is no escape next week at this time the richfield oil corporation of New York can fight you to escape with an exciting story of evil and violence in the deadly swamps of New Guinea as jewels archer tells it in two came back goodbye then until the same time next week when once again we offer you escape Tom Hanlon speaking over CBS the Columbia broadcasting system